Crispy Oven Baked Chicken ThighsTraci
Juicy inside and crispy outside, these oven baked chicken thighs use bone-in thighs for tender meat and crisp skin with just minutes of prep for a true weeknight win!
Equipment
- 1 Casserole dish or baking sheet
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Pastry brush optional
- 1 Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 5 Bone-In Chicken Thighs or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil or oil spray
- Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon Garlic Powder or measure with your heart
- ⅛ teaspoon Paprika or measure with your heart
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and center the oven rack.
- Pat the CHICKEN THIGHS dry with a paper towel. Place the thighs in an oven-safe dish or baking sheet, skin side up.
- Brush OLIVE OIL over the skin. Generously season with SALT and PEPPER, then sprinkle GARLIC POWDER and PAPRIKA evenly on top.
- If you have time, let the CHICKEN rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking to let flavors meld and promote even cooking. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
- Bake the chicken thighs uncovered for 30–45 minutes, depending on their size. They’re fully cooked at 165°F, but baking them a little longer helps the fat render and the skin crisp. You can also broil them for a few minutes to speed up crisping, watching closely because the skin browns quickly.
- Transfer the cooked thighs to a loosely covered plate and let them rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Cool leftovers completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Notes
Choose the pan that works for you: Baking chicken thighs in the oven can be done in any oven-safe dish. Go easy on the oil: Chicken thighs already have enough natural fat, so a quick brush of oil is all you need for the spices to stick. Season the thighs however you like: Use my seasoning blend or your favorite spices. Chicken thighs have great natural flavor, so even simple salt and pepper work well, especially for picky eaters. Chicken is safe at an internal temperature of 165°F, but dark meat stays juicy beyond that because it has more fat than white meat. This extra fat keeps the meat tender even with longer cooking, which is why you can bake chicken thighs longer to crisp the skin without drying them out.